Smoke damage is a danger for homeowners. In the event of a fire, you can be left with a smoke residue that will make it hard to breathe and may cause respiratory problems. If your home was damaged by smoke, don’t panic! We’re going to share some helpful tips on how to handle this type of disaster so that your family’s safety is not impacted in any way.
Before you dive in:
It is important to take precautionary measures when dealing with smoke damage. Smoke and soot are harmful when inhaled and should be treated with extreme caution. If you are dealing with residual smoke and soot, here are a few safety measures you should follow:
- Keep a wet towel to cover the mouth and nose. It keeps out particles, gases, or vapors from being inhaled by people in the work area.
- Use protective equipment while dealing with fire damage, such as safety goggles, gloves, etc. You should wear a respirator or mask that is designed for this purpose. It will help you avoid breathing in the contaminated air and protect your lungs from harmful chemicals.
- Keep water buckets for putting off small fires that may arise during trying to stop large ones. Make sure you have enough of them available in the vicinity of your property before starting any work. This keeps down destruction caused by flames and minimizes chances of further damages occurring because you had insufficient extinguishers around when needed most badly!
- Keep a first aid kit available with you since it may be needed by yourself or someone else to treat life-threatening injuries caused during an accident involving smoke damage to the property.
- Make sure all your family members are kept away from the area where restoration work is being done.
- Also make sure that you don’t expose any part of your skin while performing the clean-up. Coming in direct contact with the soot can be as harmful as inhaling the residue.
What’s next?
Once you have adopted all the safety precautions, here are a few ways you can proceed for clean up:
Wrap up any exposed belongings: After the fire has been put out, it’s important to wrap up all of your valuable items that were left outside. Clothing, furniture, appliances- anything left unprotected during clean-up must be covered with plastic sheeting before placing them back inside your home. This protects these pieces of property from residual smoke particles that might take to the air during clean-up efforts.
Ventilate the house: To get rid of the smoke from your home, ensure that all windows and doors are open. This will help circulate fresh air throughout your house, so the smoke particles have a way out. You can also turn on exhaust fans or ventilation systems in an attempt to draw any remaining contaminants outside.
Ensure good airflow: To speed up the process, add large fans near areas with heavy residual smoke damage for more efficient circulation. Open curtains and blinds because this allows natural sunlight inside, which is great for eliminating odors during cleaning efforts after a disaster like this takes place.
For tough stains, add water: If you come across stubborn spots from fire residue when cleaning your home following a fire, it’s best to add some water before using a cleaning solution. If you try to clean the stain without bringing in moisture, it could cause damage to your belongings and make matters worse.
Vacuum the soot: The last thing you want to do when dealing with smoke damage in your home is spread the problem around. Soot can get everywhere, so try using a vacuum cleaner attachment with soft bristles to get rid of these particles.
Do not use water or ammonia-based cleaners: Using hot water or cleaning solutions containing ammonia will only result in chemical reactions that intensify odors and cause more harm than good. If possible, avoid mixing substances during clean-up efforts because this may produce hazardous fumes which are even harder to remove from surfaces.
Deep clean all surfaces: To completely remove all traces of smoke from your home, it’s essential that you deep clean as many surfaces as possible. Use a wet/dry vacuum for carpets and upholstery where soot particles may have been deposited during the fire.
Inspection after the fact: Once the house has been cleaned thoroughly, you want to ensure no lingering odors or dangers are present before bringing people back inside.
Call in professional help: It doesn’t matter how good your house looks after the clean-up. It’s crucial to get in a professional inspection once you are done with the DIY clean-up. There may still be some spots left behind after your first attempt at deep cleaning. Professional cleaners will be able to say with certainty if your house is safe for living.
Dealing with smoke damage can be a long and messy process, but if you know what needs to be done before, during, and after the fact- you will have an easier time getting through these trying times!
